Napoli will reportedly turn their attention to Manchester City midfielder Javi Garcia if they fail to land Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva.
According to SportMediaset, the Serie A outfit could capitalise on Garcia’s fall down the Blues’ pecking order by proposing a temporary deal during the summer transfer window.
The recent acquisition of Fernando from Porto means the Spaniard will find it even harder to nail down a regular starting berth in Manuel Pellegrini’s side during the 2014-15 campaign, and he could be tempted by a fresh start overseas.
However, Napoli’s first choice remains Reds star Lucas, who is believed to be keen on a reunion with head coach Rafael Benitez, who lured him to Merseyside from Gremio seven years ago.
Representatives of the Brazil international met with Napoli officials in Rome last week to iron out personal terms, but the two clubs involved are yet to settle on a fee.
The Italians have set their sights on a loan arrangement which would turn into a permanent move 12 months down the line, while Liverpool prefer an outright sale, although they would be equally happy to retain his services.
Benitez led Napoli to Italian Cup glory last season and also secured Champions League qualification.